


Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori

by DanjaBlue



Series: Protege [1]
Category: Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Gen, Guilt, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Star Trek: Discovery Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:54:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29251785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanjaBlue/pseuds/DanjaBlue
Summary: Seven is in the horns of a wrenching dilemma.  R&R
Relationships: Elnor & Seven of Nine
Series: Protege [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150568
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

_CHATEAU PICARD_

_LA BARRE, FRANCE_

“I don't know, Jean-Luc,” said Seven. She and Jean-Luc were sitting in the front pew of Chateau Picard's ancient chapel.

“He needs your wisdom. He needs your experience,” said Jean-Luc. He then added, “I'm an old man. You've seen things … _experienced_ things … that I _HAVEN'T._ ”

“I've lost a son to the business,” said Seven. “I don't know if I have it in me to lose someone else.”

“He's an experienced fighter,” said Jean-Luc.

“He's out of control,” Seven shot back. _And you don't seem particularly interested in reining him in,_ she thought.

Jean-Luc glanced around the ancient chapel with its cracked plastered walls and stone tile floor. “This chapel is eight hundred years old,” he said. “It was intended to be part of a larger church, but it was never completed.”

“Why not?” Seven asked.

“Money … war … revolution,” Jean-Luc replied. “For some reason or another, it was never completed.

“The joke in the family is that God _wanted_ it this way.”

Seven looked up and glanced around. “It is rather … _intimate_ ,” she said.

Jean-Luc stood up and said, “I'll leave you here.” He then walked towards the back of the chapel.

Seven sat and held her head in her hands as Jean-Luc left the building. _I've already lost_ ONE _son,_ she thought. _I don't know if I can stand losing someone_ ELSE _._

_Is_ THIS _all I'm good for? Dishing out_ DEATH?

“If anyone's listening, I don't know what to do,” Seven said to the air. “I'm scared.”

* * *

The chapel door opened. A gust of wind flung the ancient oak door wide open as Elnor scrambled to close it. He tugged on the thick wooden handle to close the door as he fought the wind. With one final heave he closed the door behind him as he walked into the chapel.

Elnor walked down the aisle towards Seven of Nine.

“Hello, Elnor,” said Seven as she stared at the altar before her.

“How did you know I was here?” Elnor asked, his eyes bulging.

“You're about the only person I know who can enter a room without making a sound,” Seven replied. She then added, “ _MOST_ of the time, at least.”

Elnor grimaced and said, “Sorry about that.” He then added, “The wind caught the door.”

Elnor took a seat in the pew next to Seven as she continued to stare at the altar. “How did you _DO_ that?” he asked.

“How did I do _WHAT?_ ” Seven asked.

“How did you know I was back there?”

“I've been in combat,” Seven explained. “I was a drone for eighteen years.”

* * *

_Years earlier, a young, fully Borg Seven of Nine wore a black poncho as she cradled a phaser rifle while lying face down on the ground in a far-off forest._

_Her senses were attuned to the slightest sound. The snap of a twig, the rustle of leaves could either be an animal or an approaching enemy soldier._

_Seven's life depended upon her being able to differentiate between the two._

* * *

_Admit it … you need_ HIM _just as much as he needs_ YOU _, said Seven's younger self. Seven's younger self was a full Borg drone. She stood across the room from the present-day plainclothes Annika (who was dressed in a sweatshirt, jeans, boots, and a leather jacket)._

_Had he not been standing in front of you in that cube, Seven's younger self continued, you'd have been on a one-way trip back to the Collective right about now._

* * *

“I want to tell you a story,” said Seven to Elnor. “A story about a ship.

“A ship called the U.S.S. Voyager.

“Starting out, Voyager's mission wasn't expected to amount to much of anything. A short hop around the Alpha Quadrant, pick up some criminals, take them back to Earth for trial … What could go wrong?”

“It turns out, _EVERYTHING,”_ Seven continued. _“_ A few days out from Earth, Voyager encountered a celestial anomaly. In an instant, Voyager was thrown deep into the Delta Quadrant, seventy thousand light years from Earth.

“A journey that was only supposed to take a few days ended up becoming a seven-year odyssey.”

Elnor stared at Seven wide-eyed, jaw agape. He then asked her, “How do you know so much about Voyager?”

“I _SERVED_ on her for four out of those seven years,” Seven replied. “I was her astrometrics officer.”

“Astro- _WHAT?_ ” Elnor asked.

“Astrometrics,” Seven replied. “I worked mainly with the sensors. My job was to measure the various celestial phenomena that she encountered.

“Voyager was a research vessel.”

“You mean like the Enterprise?” Elnor asked.

“Similar,” Seven replied. “Voyager was a lot smaller than Enterprise. She could go places that Enterprise couldn't.”

“How did you end up on Voyager?” Elnor asked.

“I am a former Borg drone,” Seven replied. “Voyager captured me in the Delta Quadrant.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Elnor asked, puzzled.

“You can't assume _ANYTHING_ ,” Seven replied. “Space can kill. You turn your back on her, she WILL _BITE_ you.

“Just remember Voyager,” said Seven. She then continued, “I was a ground soldier.”

“With the Borg?”

Seven nodded. “Picard has never seen the war that I've seen,” she said. “He's never stood between two smoking, steaming piles of goo and flesh that only two minutes ago were his shipmates!

“I never had the luxury of fighting my battles from a luxuriously-appointed ready room, sipping Earl Grey tea and pondering the deeper philosophical questions of existence.

“I was too busy fighting for dear _LIFE!_ ”


	2. Chapter 2

_SIXTEEN YEARS EARLIER …_

_STARFLEET HEADQUARTERS_

_SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA_

“ _As we celebrate the christening of the U.S.S Voyager-A,” boomed Admiral Wainwright from the platform. “Let us be firmly committed to Starfleet's mission to promote peace, prosperity, and justice across the galaxy.”_

_After an extensive refit, Voyager was now being pressed back into service as the U.S.S. Voyager-A, only the second ship in the fleet to be given the honor of a letter designation (after Enterprise)._

_Seven of Nine was in the audience this day, having been invited to the ceremony by Admiral Kathryn Janeway. Admiral Jean-Luc Picard sat at Seven's right while Tom Paris sat at her left, deep asleep and snoring away._

“ _Let us furthermore resolve that the Voyager-A will be committed to upholding her predecessor's legacy as a Borg fighter par excellence,” Admiral Wainwright continued. “Starfleet will not rest until every last trace of the Borg has been eradicated from the galaxy once and for all!”_

_Seven clenched her teeth at that last statement. After all I've done for Starfleet, and_ THIS _is the thanks I get! she thought angrily. Had it not been for_ ME _, Earth would've been assimilated long ago._

* * *

_Seven earlier turned down a Medal of Valor from Starfleet for her work destroying the Borg transwarp conduit._

_They would give me a medal for killing my_ FAMILY! _she thought._

* * *

_Seven looked over at Admiral Picard. How can you stand listening to this? she thought. This is a slap in the face to you, me, and every former Borg in Starfleet._

_But then again, you're a traitor. You, Janeway, and Torres were in the Collective a whole five minutes. You weren't in the Collective long enough to do what_ I'VE _done._

* * *

“Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori,” mumbled Seven.

“What?” Elnor exclaimed. The two them were still in Chateau Picard's chapel.

“Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori,” Seven repeated for Elnor.

“I'm not familiar with that phrase,” Elnor replied quizzically.

“I wouldn't expect you to be,” said Seven. “It's Latin. It is a quote from the Terran philosopher Horace. It translates as 'It is sweet and honorable to die for one's country.'

“ _THAT_ … is a lie. There is nothing to be gained from death.”


	3. Chapter 3

_CHATEAU PICARD_

_LA BARRE, FRANCE_

“The Seven of Nine that Admiral Janeway knew … is _dead_ ,” said Seven as she and Jean-Luc were sitting in Chateau Picard's chapel.

“I don't believe that,” said Jean-Luc.

“Bjayzl killed her,” said Seven. “She killed her when she ordered my son tortured.”

“I don't believe that for a second,” said Jean-Luc. “I've seen her.”

“Who … Jay?”

Jean-Luc shook his head and said, “No … I meant the Seven of Nine that Admiral Janeway knew.”

“What do you mean?” Seven asked.

“She's still within you,” said Jean-Luc. “She's the same Seven of Nine who pulled Mr. Elnor off that cube.”

* * *

Elnor sat cross-legged on the bed, holding the blade of his sword up to his throat.

_If I died, would anyone miss me?_ he wondered. _Why am I here?_

_Picard has Seven of Nine now. What does he need_ ME _for?_

_I can't do_ ANYTHING _right._

“Elnor?” a female voice asked.

Elnor looked up to find Soji standing in the doorway of his room.

“Soji,” said Elnor as he quickly laid his sword down upon the bed. “What are you doing here?”

“What were you doing with that sword?” Soji asked.

“I'm surprised you knew my name,” said Elnor.

“You haven't answered my question,” said Soji.

Elnor, bound by his vow of Absolute Candor, sighed and confessed, “I want to die.”

“Why?” Soji asked.

“Picard has Seven of Nine now,” Elnor replied. “He doesn't need _ME_ anymore.” _As if he ever_ DID, he thought.

“He needs you. We _ALL_ do,” Soji replied. She then walked into Elnor's room and sat on the bed next to him.

“What can _I_ do that she _CAN'T?_ ” Elnor snapped.

“What if something should happen to her? You ever think about _THAT?_ ” Soji asked. “Look how close she came to going back to the _BORG!_ ”

“True,” said Elnor.

“You're the only reason she's _here_ and not back in the Collective!” Soji then added, “Besides, I would miss you.”

“You would?” Elnor asked.

Soji inched closer to Elnor and said, “Yes, I would.”

Elnor smiled as Soji nuzzled closer to him.

* * *

Elnor gingerly opened the door to the chapel and, just as gingerly, closed it.

_Maybe my footsteps gave me away,_ Elnor thought as he saw the back of Seven's blonde mane sitting in the front pew.

_If I alter my steps, maybe I can confuse her._

Elnor slowly crept down the aisle, step by labored step. All at once, his heel caught a low spot in the floor.

Elnor let out a yelp as he crashed to the floor.

“Elnor, are you all right?” Seven asked without looking back.

“Fine,” Elnor replied. 

Seven got up and walked back towards the aisle, towards Elnor.

_So much for_ THAT _,_ Elnor thought as he sat in the aisle.

“What happened? Why are you sitting on the floor?” Seven asked.

“I tripped,” Elnor replied. He then added brightly, "Made you look."

"That.is true," Seven replied flatly. She then added, “This floor is eight hundred years old. People have been walking up and down this aisle for centuries.

“It's bound to have some low spots,” said Seven as she offered a hand to Elnor.

Elnor took Seven's hand. Seven helped Elnor to his feet. The two of them then walked down the aisle towards the front of the church.

THE END


End file.
